Portret van Immanuel Kant 1840 - 1899

This is Johann Leonhard Raab’s portrait of Immanuel Kant. Raab made this print of the influential 18th-century German philosopher who attempted to synthesize rationalism and empiricism in his "Critique of Pure Reason." Kant is portrayed here in a conventional style, his gaze directed off to the side, his powdered wig and formal attire reflecting his status and the norms of his time. Yet, Kant’s own life was marked by a commitment to reason and a questioning of authority. Kant dared to challenge traditional modes of thought, advocating for individual autonomy and the power of human understanding. "Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage," he wrote. Raab’s portrait captures Kant's likeness, but also evokes the tension between the philosopher's revolutionary ideas and the constraints of the society in which he lived. It is a reminder that the pursuit of knowledge and the questioning of norms often come with personal and societal challenges.